An external device, commonly known as a “programmer”, is typically used for transmitting data to or from an implantable medical device (IMD). The external programmer may be used to transmit programming codes to the IMD for use by a control unit within the IMD for controlling various functions of the IMD. The external programmer may additionally be used to deliver an interrogation command to initiate receipt of data from the IMD relating to the device function or programming status or relating to physiological data collected by the implanted device. Such data transmission to and from the IMD is accomplished via a telemetric communication link established between the external programmer and the IMD.
Examples of external programmers for use with implantable cardiac pacemaker devices are generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,370 issued to Baker, U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,524 issued to Powell et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,397 issued to Weisbrod, et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In addition to a control unit such as a microcomputer for executing programmable code and the necessary telemetry circuitry for communicating with the implanted device, an external programmer typically includes features such as: a user interface, e.g., a keyboard or pointing device; a graphical display such as an LCD screen which may also be used as a graphical user interface (GUI); a printer for creating printed records of transmitted data; and a portable electronic storage medium such as a floppy or compact disk drive. Advanced programmers may include a communications link for transferring data retrieved from an IMD to a central database via the Internet or a local network. An external programmer may further include an interface for receiving sensors, such as surface ECG electrodes, to allow instrumentation of the patient for real time monitoring.
While external programmers are typically provided in a carrying case for portability, a programmer may not be readily available in a particular clinical setting when needed, particularly in emergency settings. An external programmer for use with implantable cardiac stimulation devices, for example, will typically be located in a cardiology clinic and may not be readily available in an emergency room, ambulance, medical helicopter or other acute care setting. However, obtaining information about the type of implanted device that a patient may have, its current functional status, and any stored physiological data may be extremely useful to an emergency responder in understanding the patient condition and selecting the most appropriate treatment mode.
An external programmer, however, can take up valuable physical space in an already crowded medical setting. Furthermore, features included in an external programmer, such as ECG leads and interface, printing and electronic data storage capabilities, user interface, graphical display, etc., may be redundant to subsystems or functions available on other medical instruments already present in a particular clinical setting. For example, bedside patient monitoring equipment, typically will include ECG monitoring capabilities, a central processing system, a user interface, power supply, graphical display, and other electrical subsystems that may be duplicated in an external programmer. Even external emergency therapy equipment, such as external defibrillation devices, may include features and subsystems that are duplicated in an external programming device.